Muslims in France take over whole streets and hold open-air prayers in them. This began some years back when Muslims gathered at the spot where Princess Diana died in the car accident, and prayed there as though at a shrine. If you happen to live in such a street and want to leave or enter your house, or if you need to drive a car there, bad luck, the weight of numbers makes it impossible. Muslims in this way are asserting that they already have a space of their own and the local French can do nothing about it. Marine Le Pen, daughter of the founder of the National Front, has a chance of doing well in next year’s presidential elections, and she called the street prayers an “occupation.” The word recalls the Nazis taking over the country after 1940.
Claude Guéant, the Interior Minister, has made a political issue of it. “Street prayers must stop because they hurt the feelings of many of our compatriots who are shocked by the occupation of a public space for a religious practice,” he says, bringing in that useful word “occupation.” From today, Muslims are banned from praying outdoors. The police may arrest any who persist.
The French are fighting back, then, pushed too hard by immigrants with different values and customs. Except that on that very day President Nicolas Sarkozy had a triumphal tour of Libya. While he was talking up the glories of France, whole brigades of anti-Qaddafi rebels were prostrate praying in the roadway in front of television cameras. Hasn’t Sarkozy helped to make possible here exactly what he is forbidding at home? Who knows who is deceiving whom.
For pete's sake, the French responded by making it illegal for Muslims to pray outdoors? Really? They passed a law saying "Muslims can't pray outdoors"?
How about a law saying "Nobody can block streets"? Oh wait, they already probably had a law like that. I am sure it was selectively enforced, but if day after day people are blocking the street, the police would step in. Why not just do that?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Hasn’t Sarkozy helped to make possible here exactly what he is forbidding at home?"
In Texas the way we would say that is that if you lie down with the dogs, don't be surprised when you wake up with fleas.
There is certainly a measure of reaping what we've sown, so the sooner our leaders come to that realization the more clarity they will get on turning the train around in our own nations.
On the first day of the re-trial of the Holy Land Foundation Five, I walked into the courtroom prior to the start and four of the defendants were on the floor praying. The spot they chose blocked the aisle immediately inside the door on the prosecution side of the courtroom.
There was no way around them and even their attorneys who came in on the denfense side of the room looked shocked with gaping mouths.
With no way to walk around them, I just backed out of the room. I knew they were marking their territory in that courtroom.
We need to distinguish strategic moves from purely religious ones, and quit allowing religion to be used to disguise aggression...and as you said, occupation.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhy not just say excuse me and push by? You may think it would be unmannerly, but what was it that they were doing?
What they did was aggressive. What they did was occupy. Will you quit allowing it next time?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOh please. Are you telling me there was no outdoor prayers in Libya before the nutjob was kicked out? Besides, there is a difference between the cultures of France and Libya. If Libyan wish to have a country where people can block the roads and sidewalks praying let them. And if the French do not, let them.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThat whizzing sound you heard was the point whizzing over your head, Tom.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo what was the point Donna? Rather than say it whizzed over me head do educate me. Because frankly unless there is some hidden code involved I doubt there is any point to the last paragraph. Outdoor prayers existed before the Libyan revolt. They exist after it. Sarkozy's actions did not make those prayers possible since they were already occurring. So making the connection that Sarkozy enabled outdoor prayers in Libya while outlawing them in France is frankly wrong.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSarkozy enabled Libya to transition from a country that kept the jihadists under control to a country run by jihadists. If he understands his domestic problems with Muslims, why would he do this? His actions abroad reveal no awareness of the problem of enabling the ascendancy of sharia and jihad, but his actions at home reveal that he is aware of the problem. This inconsistency is the point.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDonna:
"...even their attorneys who came in on the denfense side of the room looked shocked with gaping mouths."
"We need to distinguish strategic moves from purely religious ones, and quit allowing religion to be used to disguise aggression...and as you said, occupation."
Well said. The attorneys might have been shocked by the intrusion of a so-called religion into the courtroom, or hadn't been informed of that move by their clients.
As for distinguishing between strategic and religious moves, that isn't possible with Islam because it is a political movement based on a religion, or, more accurately when judged by its tenets, a cult. There's no separation to be had. No compromise either. As Erdogan said, there is no such thing as a moderate muslim.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think there has to be more racial understanding between the races in France. The developed countries will always have problems with immigrants because that is a sign that their country is appealing to others who seek security. Before putting the law in place, did they have a dialogue with religious leaders to see what could have been done to avert such a problem such a street blocking? Calling it an occupation just sounds really harsh, and the tension could have escalated into something worse.
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